President Obama made a statement the other day in response to a question about what Mitt Romney had said in the presidential debates about a possible Russia threat. At the time, Obama cavalierly dismissed it as living in the past.

"The 80's called. They want their foreign policy back!"

He doubled down on that stupidity in his reply:

"Russia is a regional power that is threatening some of its immediate neighbors — not out of strength, but out of weakness"

Weakness? Really?? Was Germany in 1939 merely a "regional power that is threatening some of its immediate neighbors — not out of strength, but out of weakness"? BTW, Mr. President, in case you were on vacation at the time, Russia did more than merely threaten her neighbors, she invaded one and annexed it with nary a shot fired. And as far as being merely a "regional power", exactly how many nukes and ICBMs does this "regional power" possess?
Prior to WWI, Archduke Ferdinand was the leader of a "regional power", whose assassination sparked a global conflict. Some of the "neighbors" the current regional power of Russia might be threatening, are members of NATO. The US has signed treaties with them, that we will defend them the same as if the US were attacked. To quote from their website:

NATO’s essential purpose is to safeguard the freedom and security of its members through political and military means.

Now, you can debate all day long whether or not making alliances with various allies is the wisest course to take, or whether we will pursue this course in the future, but are we going to run away from these treaties we have already signed, as Obama has done with the agreements to guarantee the sovereignty and defense of the Ukraine?
The White House is making a big deal out of the fact that the last phone between Putin and Obama was initiated by Putin. Really? This is not because of any weakness. Putin is the kind of guy who, when he shakes your hand, you'd do best to count your fingers afterwards. He is seeking to consolidate his gains and perhaps gauge when the next bit of Russian adventurism might most effectively and efficiently take place.
Barack "President Selfie" Obama and John "Magic Hat" Kerry try to portray Russian acts of aggression as being "weak" and "old fashioned". Perhaps, if either had spent a significant amount of time in the military, they might have learned that the aggressor in a war is not "weak", and war, rather than being somehow a uniquely 19th century phenomenon or as old fashioned as last year's bicycle spandex, is historically an integral part of the human condition.
Someone had best remind The Least Serious President in the History of the Republic™, that part of his job is Commander-in-Chief, and to explain to him everything that goes along with that responsibility. If you can ever get him off the 18th green...

BTW, the headline does not preclude the possibility of a combination of all three.
Original art by John Cox. More at John Cox Art
Cross posted at LCR

Out problem, Denis, is that this clown told everyone he was going to "fundamentally transform" the US, but too many people thought he meant it in a good way! It's hard to get a majority of people to pay attention to politics over here, except the few weeks prior to an election. Then, they just vote for the candidate with the best hair.

The correct answer is indeed 'all of the above'. Deluded by left wing progressive utopian ideology, trained in bald faced lying from a life spent marinated in professional politics, lacking any experience and training that would provide the least bit of competence in any entry level executive job.

"... part of his job is Commander-in-Chief, and to explain to him everything that goes along with that responsibility."

Oh look ..., another of Left Coast Rebel debased excuse to bash USA; oh color me surprised. You do realize, don't cha, that your insipid flaccid wishing for USA failure put you on the side of Iran, North Korea, and your hero President Putin?

But hey, LCR hatred for USA and President Obama knows no bounds.

The world thinks USA weak? Is this about Crimea/Ukraine? Do you know how little Russia give a shit about how strong, or weak USA is in regards to what Russia does?

Give one example of concrete action USA/Western Alliance could have made prior, that would have influenced Russia's actions? (Extra credit given - should the Western Alliance/USA had made whatever concrete action LCR suggests; how long before LCR would use the Nevil Chamberlain of surrender analogy against President Obama?)

In 2008, President Putin invaded Georgia, and sent his troops to within a couple miles of the capital of that country. What did tough guy President Bush do? Nothing. He didn't even put sanctions in place. He let it happen. And that's not because he was weak, it was because there was nothing he COULD do. Same for President Obama in terms of Ukraine. What did you expect? Military action against Russia? How ridiculously stupid do you have to be to embrace that?

Who is holding the stronger hand?

Sanctions have been called for, and put into place. Sanctions, especially banking sanctions work. Why? Because the world economy, including Russia, tends to operate, trade, and make sales and trades in US dollars. With sanctions in place, banks will not do business with sanctioned countries, meaning Russia. Without banks to do business with, Russia's economy starts to falter, and this is what will happen.

Do you think anyone wants to attack USA? Do you think they see the US as weak after we were attacked on 9/11, and we decimated an entire country, and replaced its leadership within 3 months? LCR is fucking out of LCR's mind if LCR thinks other countries look at USA as weak in regards to military might. USA is the preeminent military power in the world. There isn't another military that could even remotely match USA.

So why exactly does LCR think this situation is a USA problem? Is it not true China and India are closer to this region? President Putin is in a losing box of his own making.

Ah, Ema! If I turn on the light will you scuttle off with the other cockroaches? You start off with some insane babble of "bashing the US". Really? I knew that Obama was a part of the "L'État, c'est moi" crowd, and he certainly tries to emulate Louis XIV with his lavish lifestyle, but criticism of Obama ought not to be in anyone's twisted mind equal to "bashing" the US.

I don't have time this AM to debunk even a fraction of the idiocy you frame by getting so much of what you think you know incorrect, but a careful, or intelligent reading of so much as two words past the headline, and you might have been able to figure out that LCR did not write this post and directed your rant appropriately. Not only do I not believe "L'État, c'est moi", I do not even believe that "L'Blog, c'est moi".

Do not worry your pretty little head, sweet Ema. I shall return and dissect more of your idiocy before day's end.

"Give one example of concrete action USA/Western Alliance could have made prior, that would have influenced Russia's actions". Easy peasy. How about if anyone of the myriad "red lines" Obama had drawn had been backed up with any serious consequences? Not only did he not back up any of his threats, he went as far as deny making them. Which set an example to the world (Putin included) that Obama was a toothless tiger, (cough, liar!) without the political will to take any significant retaliatory action.

LCR is fucking out of LCR's mind if LCR thinks other countries look at USA as weak in regards to military might. That's a straw man, no matter how inarticulately you bleat it. No one ever said the US was weak. But the lily livered, linguini spined Noob-in-Chief is known as not having the political will or cojones to use that force. That's where the weakness lies. ("Weakness lies" - the Obama administration in two words!)

"how long before LCR would use the Nevil (sic) Chamberlain of surrender analogy against President Obama?" In your stupidity, you almost stumble into the truth, Ema. Neville Chamberlain came back from Germany with a piece of paper, signed by Hitler promising peace. Mr. Obama, along with former President Clinton, convinced the Ukraine to demilitarize, based on a piece of paper signed by the US, Great Britain and Russia, the "Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances".

How is the paper Chamberlain waved any different that the one signed by Clinton and Bresnev, reaffirmed by Obama in 2009?

LCR post things on LCR 'blog' and then accept no responsibility for it.Again, dear delusional Ema, I accept responsibility for everything I write, both online and off. And you, my dear, are the very definition of "off". There is an individual here, who founded this blog, who goes by the handle "Left Coast Rebel", or "LCR" for short (like the bus you rode until they finally kicked you off for obvious behavioral problems.

The weird reasoning in which you determine that in making sure you knew I wrote it is somehow NOT "accepting responsibility for it" is best left to those majoring in aberrent psychology.

I note that you made no serious reply to the example of all the "red lines" drawn by Obama. It is well said that one should not make threats one is not prepared to back up. Obama's feckless use of windy speeches in lieu of political will causes the world to view us as an impotent threat, so long as President Selfie is C-in-C.

Why exactly does LCR think the Ukraine situation is a USA problem? Your abysmal grammar aside, Why exactly did Great Britain (or the US to follow) think that the Poland situation in 1939 was a "Great Britain problem"? Actually, I've already given you the answer, but your inability to read or deal with anything factual is legendary.

Please tell me what the "Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances" guaranteed and who were its signatories, and any sane and rational person might have their answer. You undoubtedly, will not, so come again and we will try to further enlighten you.

What concrete actions does LCR propose the USA/Western Alliance use that are not already being implemented?My dear sainted mother used to say, "No use closing the barn door after the cows are out."The dithering bumbler of inept American foreign policy has figuratively left the barn door open. That cannot be undone. The fact that no simple recourse is left to us ("simple" and "left" sure go together a lot!), does not mean there is no value in assessing who left the door open, and why, so that we might prevent it from happening in the future.

Those who do not learn from history, primarily braindead, leftist ideologues (but I repeat myself!), are doomed to repeat it.

"When compiling sharp conservative thoughts and takes for my Morning Jolt newsletter late at night and early in the morning, I find myself coming back to Left Coast Rebel again and again." -Jim Geraghty, National Review"Hey Tim, I appreciate the kind email and the plug on your site. It’s rare that my first feedback isn’t hate mail from a disgruntled statist! You carry on too – we’ve got our work cut out for us." -Tad DeHaven, Cato Institute"Thanks so much for all YOU do for liberty and individual rights. I appreciate your strong voice for capitalism. We're changing the culture -- keep it up!" -Jonathan Hoenig, Fox News"Congrats Tim. You have arrived." -GatewayPundit"Before we sell California to China or go Lex Luther on the San Andreas Fault, let's be sure to save the Left Coast Rebel." -Barack Obama's Cousin, Milton R. Wolf, M.D.

"I like LCR because it seems like more thought goes into posts there than at many other blogs that focus more on horse-race politics." -Nate Nelson, United Liberty

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